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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082801">Rules of Travel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digigal_transbian/pseuds/Digigal_transbian'>Digigal_transbian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Time Gem Fusion, Gen, Mentioned Bill Cipher, Post-Episode: s06e20 The Future, The Diamonds Are Basically Steven's Aunts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:28:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digigal_transbian/pseuds/Digigal_transbian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven tells the Diamonds that he's going to go travel for a while, explore the world. They have some critical advice to give.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blue Diamond &amp; Steven Universe &amp; White Diamond &amp; Yellow Diamond</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rules of Travel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been six months since his outburst that shifted him into a monster. Since that day, he's gotten a therapist, tied up some loose ends, and made preparations to explore the Earth in all its glory. </p><p> </p><p>He hopes on the warp pad in his private little garden and heads towards Homeworld one final time before his trip.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey guys." Steven says to the Diamonds.</p><p> </p><p>"Steven!" The Diamonds exclaim, moving closer to him in the blink of an eye. </p><p> </p><p>"How have you been?" Asks Blue.</p><p> </p><p>"My therapist has been really helping me," Steven replies good naturedly, "I decided I'd come over for a visit, it's been a while."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh it certainly has, Starchild." White croons, "We're all thrilled to have you feeling better."</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks!" He chuckles, they themselves have been improving quite a bit since the incident.</p><p> </p><p>"Have you made any plans for the future yet?" Yellow asks, with an eyebrow raised.</p><p> </p><p>"Actually, I was planning on taking a trip around the Earth in about a week."</p><p> </p><p>The Diamonds get quiet at that and share a look amongst each other. Yellow looks to Blue, Blue looks to White, White nods.</p><p> </p><p>"Steven, dear," White gently starts, "Could you come with us to my room? There's something you need to be aware of. It's nothing to do with your mother, but it's in your best interests that you know a few things about the Earth."</p><p> </p><p>◇☆◇</p><p> </p><p>In White's room, she inputs a long code into one of the panels and a small device pops out nearby. She gingerly picks the device up in her fingers, examining it with a hint of sorrow in her eyes, before giving the device to Steven.</p><p> </p><p>"That archive contains every anomalous entity and item that Gemkind has cataloged. Hundreds of those anomalies happen to reside on Earth."</p><p> </p><p>"Damn triangle…" Yellow mutters under her breath at the same time Blue mutters. "Sunken Dreamer…"</p><p> </p><p>"You'll find that listed alongside the anomaly is a description of it and a containment method." White Diamond continues on, grimacing at the memories of what Blue and Yellow are talking about, "There are hundreds of ways everything could go wrong, so if these anomalies break free, you need to know how to handle them."</p><p> </p><p>White's form is then engulfed in a blinding light as she shrinks her form to be closer to Steven's size. She's still taller than him, but only by about a head. The other Diamonds take this as a cue to do the same, and they shrink to be only half a head taller than him. White approaches Steven and places her hands on his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"Any of these anomalies breaking free would spell disaster, Steven." She says, voice dripping with concern. "We don't want you to be hurt because of them."</p><p> </p><p>"To us," Yellow picks up, "Some of these just cause gemaches and mild destabilization. To anything organic though, some of these things are absolutely lethal. Existing near them when they're free could practically erase you from existence, well your human half that is."</p><p> </p><p>"And least Yellow's gemache is in a form of bubble," Blue starts, "Mine is at the bottom of one of your oceans."</p><p> </p><p>"Beware the one eyed deal maker, Steven." Yellow says with a voice of absolute seriousness, "Never shake the gold triangle's hand if you value being alive, and please never let it have any chance to take over your body. It is far older than any of us, and it is significantly powerful, we don't want to add to that power in any way. He's a manipulative bastard that could destroy the universe if given the chance, which is why he can't be free. He'd turn this world into a never ending party of pure crystal madness."</p><p> </p><p>"Does he have a name?" Steven asks.</p><p> </p><p>"Bill Cipher," Yellow says with a grimace, "If things get too bad, and he gains too much free reign, the Earth will have to be destroyed. If the planet an anomaly is bound to is destroyed, they're destroyed with it."</p><p> </p><p>"And be careful around any lost statues." Blue steps in, "If the statue feels wrong, it is. The same goes for any whispering books and silver keys to nothing. They were lost for a reason, leave them where they were found and move on if you find one. We don't want any Outer Gods having free reign of this dimension, their existence would tear reality to shreds."</p><p> </p><p>"One sleeps in his sunken city of accursed geometries, able to reproduce asexually at an alarming rate if so desired." Blue continues, "His entire spawn is nothing to a gem, but to a human? His entire kind are the antithesis of natural order. Their existence near any organic matter acts like a bio poison leagues more potent than the one Spinel injected into your Earth some time ago."</p><p> </p><p>"You can imagine how dangerous it would be for him to properly breed." Blue finishes, the unsaid dangers hanging thickly in the air.</p><p> </p><p>"Dead, yet dreaming, Cthulhu sleeps at his palace in R'lyeh." White quotes somberly, "If he ever awakens, he will instate his dominion over the Earth and there is nothing you as a human can do to stop it. He is a threat best left to pure gems to handle."</p><p> </p><p>"Keep the device on you while you travel, Starchild." White says gently, hugging Steven carefully, as to not crush him with her immense strength, "It will help to keep you safe on your travels. We care too much about you to hurt you any more than we have in the past."</p><p> </p><p>"Why are there so many bad things on Earth?" Steven asks.</p><p> </p><p>"It was like that when we found it." Yellow states matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>"Why give Earth to Pink if there were so many dangerous things on it?"</p><p> </p><p>"The colonization process drains a planet of everything, rendering it completely inhospitable for any organic life without Pink's essence. If the Earth is destroyed, so will the anomalies bound to it. Either we gain a successful colony, or the planet and its anomalies are destroyed. It's a win-win for us."</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks guys!" Steven thanks, hugging the four of them tightly. They may have hurt him in the past, but they have been improving lately. He's touched that they genuinely care about him this much. The Diamonds return the hug and their gems glow, turning their bodies into fluid light. </p><p> </p><p>The liquid light mixes and blends and when it settles, a four Diamond fusions stands in their place. Her hair sticks out in five curly points, glowing every color of the rainbow. Her cape flows from her shoulders, a map of every planet in the Gempire glistening behind her.</p><p> </p><p>She starts giggling uncontrollably. Steven can feel the Diamond's love for and protectiveness of him directly as this fusion, bringing happy tears to their eyes. Rainbow Diamond whispers two words into the empty room.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you."</p>
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